Table of Contents
The Adityas are the sons of Aditi, the primordial mother goddess, and Kashyapa, a sage and progenitor of many beings. Aditi is considered the mother of the gods, and the Adityas are among her most significant offspring.
See also Asherah, mother of the gods
Traditionally there are twelve Adityas, each linked with one month of the Hindu calendar. Their number follows the solar year, and each one stands for a part of the sun’s influence on life and nature.
The twelve names
The Mahabharata (Adi Parva, section 65) gives the twelve as Dhata, Mitra, Aryama, Sakra (Indra), Varuna, Amsa, Bhaga, Vivasvan, Pusha, Savita, Tvashta and Vishnu. It names Vishnu as the youngest and calls him superior to the others.
- Mitra: Associated with friendship and harmony.
- Varuna: Governs the cosmic order and the waters.
- Aryaman: Linked with hospitality and the rules of society.
- Bhaga: Represents wealth and prosperity.
- Amsa: Stands for a share or portion.
- Dhatri: Associated with creation.
- Indra: King of the gods, associated with rain and thunderstorms.
- Vivasvan: Another name for Surya, the sun god.
- Tvashtha: The divine artisan or craftsman.
- Pusha: Protector of travellers and herds.
- Savitr: Associated with the rising and setting sun.
- Vishnu: In some traditions counted as one of the Adityas, as the preserver of the universe.
Comparison with the Atlantean kings
In the Critias, Plato describes Atlantis as an advanced civilization ruled by ten kings. Each king governed one of the ten parts of Atlantis. They were the sons of Poseidon, the god of the sea, and Cleito, born as five pairs of twins.
Both the Adityas and the Atlantean kings are shown as divine or semi-divine beings tied to a cosmic or natural order. Celestial or supernatural rulers who shape the world are a common theme in mythology.
Source: The Mahabharata, Book 1, Adi Parva, section 65, translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli (public domain), Wikisource.
